Weekly Radio Address: Update on the City's Response to Hurricane Sandy

By NYC.gov -NOV. 11, 2012

The following is the text of Mayor Bloomberg’s weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS News Radio for Sunday, November 11, 2012.

“Good Morning. This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

“Since Hurricane Sandy hit New York, the City has been working around-the-clock to meet the needs of people living in the areas that were hit hardest – like the Rockaways, Staten Island, Red Hook and Coney Island. And every day, we’re expanding our efforts.

“For the last ten days, we’ve been providing food, water and other necessities to people living in the hardest-hit areas. So far, we’ve given out almost two million meals, half a million liters of water and more than 100,000 blankets, as well as space heaters, baby supplies, flashlight batteries and much more. We’ve also set up disaster assistance centers where people can apply for emergency benefits, including federal recovery assistance. To protect New Yorkers from the cold, we’ve been providing free transportation to city-run heating centers and emergency shelters where people can stay warm and safe. And to ensure that medical needs are tended to, mobile medical vans are providing primary care and common prescription drugs in hard-hit areas.

“Medical teams are also going door-to-door in high-rise buildings without power to ensure residents who remained in their homes are safe. These and other efforts have been helped by thousands of NYC Service volunteers, who’ve shown enormous generosity to fellow New Yorkers in time of need. We’ve also raised more than $32 million in donations for relief efforts through the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City. Anyone who wants to know more about any of these emergency resources, or who wants to volunteer or make a contribution, should call 311 or visit nyc.gov.

“We’re also doing everything we can to ensure that New Yorkers still displaced by the storm get back in their homes as soon as possible. That means two things: first, we’re working with utility companies to bring back power to homes where it’s safe to do so. Second, we’re working with homeowners whose electrical systems need to be repaired before power can safely be turned back on. Under the City’s program, which we call ‘New York City Rapid Repairs,’ teams of inspectors, electricians, carpenters and contractors are going building-to-building to identify repairs needed, help building owners make repairs and get them reimbursed by the federal government for repair work. To find out how to participate in this program, call 311 or visit nyc.gov.

“At the same time, we’ve taken steps to help people get around town easier. In the Rockaways, which lost subway service, we built a temporary ferry pier to replace the one destroyed by Sandy. Tomorrow morning, we’ll begin ferry service from there to Lower Manhattan. And to shorten long lines at gas stations, cars with license plates ending in an even number or a zero can only buy gas on even-numbered days, while those ending in an odd number or a letter can only buy gas on odd-numbered days like today, the 11th. So far it’s working well. And we’re going to keep doing everything possible to get life back to normal in our city – especially for those hit hardest by the storm.

“This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Thanks for listening.”

MIKE BLOOMBERG

U.N. Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change and President of the Board of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

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